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TRINGENUITY 50: Trinity Commentary

Welcome to TRINGENUITY, CBR’s ongoing commentary of DC Comics’ weekly superhero series, “Trinity.” The title is divided into two features; the first focuses on Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, while the second feature portrays background or tangential events that relate to the ongoing lead storyline. “Trinity” is a weekly series that is promised to be epic in scale and help define the trio of heroes’ mythical place in the DC Universe.

PREVIOUSLY

We began with Krona imprisoned by the Trinity. The Plan was to use Krona’s creation powers to correct all the damage done to the world. As the remainder of the Troika battled Xor and the Dreambound, the Worldsoul tried to heal the Earth. As the lead feature ended, Morgaine freed Krona, and the mad Oan ripped the Earth apart in his search for the Worldsoul.

Despite a valiant effort, Hal Jordan was unable to hold the planet together using his Power Ring. The Earth split and cracked, with large portions floating off towards space. Around the globe, we witnessed the destruction through the eyes of people on the ground and, in the case of Tomorrow Woman, in the sky. Destruction reigned, and the men and women of Earth died along with their planet.

TRINITY #50

Krona’s has killed all life on Earth and freed the Worldsoul. In the aftermath, Krona finally gets to ask his questions of a planetary entity. Not surprisingly, the questions are scientific ones, cold and calculated: how do worldsouls communicate? What is their purpose? How long do they live? Earth’s soul has an answer for Krona, but it is not the one he desires. The Worldsoul shows Krona what it is to be a cosmic consciousness. There is knowledge without purpose. There is existence without need. Simply being is enough. The enraged Krona rejects these notions and as he is about to destroy the Worldsoul, the Trinity return.

The Trinity attempts to drive off Krona, the planet only alive thanks to the sparks of it they keep in their own souls. The mad Oan is not to be dissuaded, but the Worldsoul reminds the Trinity that the way to victory is not through further combat and destruction. Rather, it is through unity, and the united heroes converge on Krona, sealing him, the Worldsoul, and themselves inside a cosmic bubble cut from Batman’s very being. As the heroes complete their task, the Worldsoul speaks of a great sacrifice. Then, back at the North Pole, the members of the world’s heroic community awaken, though reality is not yet set right.

COMMENTARY

Brian Eason: One big storyline this week.

Justin Eger: We’ve seen this flow from one creative team to another before, but this week really worked well. Not for the people of earth, but for readers, anyway.

In space, there is only death

BE: Krona finally gets his answers from the Worldsoul.

Krona meets the Worldsoul

JE: Like a scientist, he starts asking all the basics, everything that would otherwise, in a lab, perhaps, add up to one thing, “What are you?”

BE: It doesn’t seem like these are the answers he wanted.

JE: Not in the slightest. Despite his belief in order, it appears not everything subscribes to that same system.

BE:Â No. The existence of the cosmic entities is always in flux, like a dance and there is no order in it he can understand.Â

The truth at the core of the world

JE: Mentioning dance, there tends to be pattern in art, but it’s not something the more science-minded tend to pick up on.

BE: Despite he vaunted patience, Krona is pretty angry.

JE: I love how we can keep coming back to Krona’s “patience.” It brings me no end of joy to see how wrong he was.

BE: And the Worldsoul doesn’t seem very tolerant of Krona’s hissy fit.

JE: Despite being what Krona considers a lesser being, she’s not exactly without resources of her own.

JE: This leads me to consider something: If Krona is such a superior being, why is he so enthralled with learning about Worldsouls?

BE: Krona has always wanted knowledge for the sake of knowledge itself. I think this is another case of that.Â

JE: Perhaps. And perhaps it is because they are so unlike himself.

BE: Agreed. While he has the powers of creation and is ancient, he remains alien to these natural creatures.Â

JE: He is more a created power than a natural one, correct?

BE: Exactly my thoughts. Regardless of his power, he was born on the planet Maltus, no matter how godlike he may be today.Â